tendency

ten·den·cy

Use tendency in a sentence

noun

The definition of a tendency is an inclination towards a certain action or behavior.

An example of a tendency is when you usually are very neat and tidy.

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"tendency." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 24 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Tendency>.

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tendency. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Tendency

tendency

noun

pl. -·cies

an inclination to move or act in a particular direction or way; constant disposition to some action or state; leaning; bias; propensity; bent
a course or apparent course toward some purpose, object, or result; drift
a definite purpose or point of view in something said or written

Origin of tendency

Medieval Latin tendentia from Classical Latin tendens, present participle of tendere, to tend

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MLA Style

"tendency." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 24 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Tendency>.

APA Style

tendency. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Tendency

tendency

noun

pl. ten·den·cies

a. A characteristic likelihood: fabric that has a tendency to wrinkle.
b. A predisposition to think, act, or proceed in a particular way: his tendency to exaggerate.
c. A characteristic pattern or point of view: the book's tendency to oversimplify events.
Movement or prevailing movement in a given direction: observed the tendency of the wind; the shoreward tendency of the current.

Origin of tendency

Medieval Latin tendentia from Latin tendēns tendent- present participle of tendere to tend ; see tend¹.

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"tendency." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 24 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Tendency>.

APA Style

tendency. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Tendency

tendency

tendency trend current drift tenor inclination

These nouns refer to the direction or course of an action or thought. Tendency implies a predisposition to proceed in a particular way: “The tendency of our own day is … towards firm, solid, verifiable knowledge” (William H. Mallock). Trend often applies to a general or prevailing direction, especially within a particular sphere: “the trend of religious thought in recent times” (James Harvey Robinson). Current suggests a course or flow, as of opinion, especially one representative of a given time or place: “the whole current of modern feeling” (James Bryce). A drift is a tendency that seems driven by a shifting current: a drift toward communism in Latin America. Tenor implies a continuous, unwavering course: “His conduct was … uniform and unvarying in its tenor” (Frederick Marryat). Inclination usually refers to an individual's propensity for or disposition toward one thing rather than another: an inclination to overindulge in sweets.

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.